The Fire Emblem series has a rich history that dates all the way back to 1990 with the release of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light. Over the past 30 years, the series has received 16 core games, spin offs such as Fire Emblem Warriors, and even a Japan-exclusive trading card game, Fire Emblem Cipher.
While there may be a plethora of Fire Emblem games each with their own appeal, many are not the most accessible to play for newcomers, with six core entries in the series having never been released outside of Japan. Luckily, Fire Emblem is a series that is not shy about remaking their games, such as Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valientia. So today, we're going to examine the five Fire Emblem games most deserving of a remake, and five that don't need a new coat of paint.
10 Don't Remake: Fates
Fire Emblem Fates is a unique entry in the Fire Emblem franchise, being broken up into three separate routes in the form of Birthright, Conquest, and Revelation. While numerous entries in the series featured this approach, the various incarnations of Fates were marketed and sold as separate games, something many players were critical of.
If Fates were to be remade in any capacity, this hypothetical remake would ideally feature each route from the word go similarly to Three Houses. However, as Fates was released a mere five years ago and is still easily accessible, a remake at this stage would be unnecessary.
9 Remake: Mystery Of The Emblem
Released in 1994 for the Super Nintendo, Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem was a direct sequel to the first entry of the series. Mystery of the Emblem uniquely featured a remake of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light and that game's sequel within a single experience. Despite this, Mystery of the Emblem's Japan-exclusive remake only contained the latter half of the game rather than the entire two-part experience.
As Mystery of the Emblem's original remake was not released outside of Japan, perhaps an updated version could be developed that featured both Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light and Mystery of the Emblem's stories simultaneously.
8 Don't Remake: Shadow Dragon
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon is a DS remake of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light. While the first entry of the series paved the way for numerous elements of Fire Emblem and is one of the most iconic entries in the series, the prospects of a Mystery of the Emblem remake completely invalidate a return to Shadow Dragon.
As previously mentioned, a proper and faithful remake of Mystery of the Emblem would already include the entirety of Shadow Dragon, much like it was in its original incarnation for the SNES.
7 Remake: Path Of Radiance
The only Fire Emblem game to be released for the Gamecube, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance is an incredible and unique experience that spiced up the traditional Fire Emblem formula through the introduction of widely usable transforming units called Laguz. Touting a stellar story, characters, and gameplay, Path of Radiance is one of the hardest Fire Emblem games to come by, with used copies being sparse and expensive.
A remake of Path of Radiance would allow newer fans to the series to experience one of the strongest entries in the series, and it could even pave the way for a remake of the game's sequel, Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn.
6 Don't Remake: Awakening
Fire Emblem: Awakening is widely regarded as a game that single-handedly revived the Fire Emblem series when it was on the brink of collapse. Awakening brought a great deal to the table such as its expanded support system and is responsible for bringing many new players to the series.
However, like Fates, Awakening is still quite fresh in many players' memories. As getting one's hands on a copy of Awakening is still a very easy feat, and it's a very polished experience, an Awakening remake should be far from a priority.
5 Remake: The Binding Blade
Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade, originally branded in the west as simply Fire Emblem, was the first Fire Emblem game to be released outside of Japan. The Blazing Blade is in actuality the prequel to the sixth game in the series, Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade. To this day, The Binding Blade has never been officially released outside of Japan.
As The BindingBlade's protagonist is Roy, a character made popular my the Super Smash Bros. franchise, a remake of The Binding Blade could potentially cater to both Smash fans and Fire Emblem fans alike.
4 Don't Remake: Gaiden
Released in Japan in 1992, Fire Emblem Gaiden is a distinct entry in the series, being the first Fire Emblem game to feature a traversable overworld and branching promotion trees.
However, the reason we don't need a Gaiden remake is quite straightforward: one was just released three years ago in the greatly polished Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia for the 3DS.
3 Remake: Genealogy Of The Holy War
When it comes to Fire Emblem remakes, one can't help but bring up Genealogy of the Holy War. Released in Japan in 1996 for the SNES, this game was ported to the Wii's virtual console in 2007 but has never been officially playable outside of Japan. This is truly a shame, as Genealogy is often regarded as one of the most impressive and influential entries in the series, being hindered by a lack of accessibility for players.
Now seems as good a time as ever for a remake of Genealogy of the Holy War to be released, as like the popular Three Houses, the game features a noteworthy time-skip.
2 Don't Remake: Three Houses
If there's one Fire Emblem game that does not need a remake of any sort, it's Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Released only just over a year ago, Three Houses is the most recent Fire Emblem game available and is still quite fresh in many fans' minds.
Even the prospects of an expanded version of the game at this point would be beyond gratuitous for fans wanting to see the series progress.
1 Remake: Thracia 776
Like Genealogy of the Holy War, Thracia 776 has never been officially released outside of Japan, and is regarded as one of the most inaccessible games for players to experience. The last game in the franchise to be worked on by series creator Shouzou Kaga, Thracia 776 is home to many unique mechanics such as capturing enemy units.
If there are any Fire Emblem games that should be prioritized for the remake treatment, it should be Tracia 776 and any of the other entries that were never released outside of Japan or translated into English.
NEXT: Ten Unassuming Fire Emblem Characters Who Are Actually Amazing